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Atlas / NTSB / CEN25LA377

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event CEN25LA377

2025-09-13 Lancaster, Texas, United States Airport · LNC None 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Registry · N7774A

FAA Aircraft Registry record.

Make / Model

CESSNA 172F

Year of manufacture

1964 · 61 years old at event

Engine

CONT MOTOR 0-300 SER (145 hp)

Seats / Engines

4 seats · 1 engine

Last airworthiness date

19641015

ADS-B equipped

Yes — Mode-S AA85ED

Registrant of record

SAYDUN LLC

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s inadequate fuel planning and failure to monitor the fuel consumption which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.

Factual narrative

The pilot intended to complete a 4-hour night flight while following a company multi-engine airplane. Before departure, the airplane was serviced with about 18 gallons of fuel; the main fuel tanks were full (36 gallons usable), and the auxiliary fuel tank was empty. The pilot thought that the airplane contained 53 gallons of usable fuel, even though the auxiliary tank was empty. During final approach to the destination airport the engine lost total power, and the pilot made a forced landing into the airport perimeter fence. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the fuel tanks remained intact and undamaged. A few ounces of fuel were found in the left main tank, and the right main and auxiliary tanks were empty. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).

  • Aircraft-Fluids/misc hardware-Fluids-Fuel-Fluid management
  • Personnel issues-Task performance-Planning/preparation-Fuel planning-Pilot
  • Personnel issues-Task performance-Inspection-Preflight inspection-Pilot
  • Personnel issues-Experience/knowledge-Knowledge-Knowledge of equipment-Pilot

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2025_CEN25LA377.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.